


The Courtship Bet

by Fandomchild



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Bill doesn't understand human romance, Flowers are used for courting, M/M, They both love stan, They don't like each other, at all, references to violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-05
Updated: 2016-09-05
Packaged: 2018-08-13 07:11:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7967344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fandomchild/pseuds/Fandomchild
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In their home universes they were banished before they got the chance to act on their emotions. In this one they do. Poor Stan never saw it coming.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Courtship Bet

**Author's Note:**

> This idea gave me hell. I started writing it in May and only just now finished. On well I hope you enjoy it.

_He’s watching him again. Ever since they were both banished from their home dimensions that crybaby hasn’t done anything else but watch through that little reality bubble. Growling to himself at how annoying being stuck with his alternate self is Bill floats over to see what the idiot’s looking at. Looking down he is immediately surprised when he sees what or should he say who exactly has caught his other self’s attention._

_“Is that Stanley Pines?” Bill asks scaring his blue counterpart out of his thoughts._

_“Y-yes….” Will utters focus still completely on the little human._

_“Why ya watching him?”_

_“Um well….yo-ou see….in m-my universe he-he cared about me….I-I mean he-he still made deals with me-e but he-he was a lot kinder about it-t than the-the rest of his family.”_

_“You had a crush on him?! Oh circles I can’t believe this! Are you telling me I’m so pathetic in your reality that I fell for a human!?”_

_“Oh n-no yo-ou don’t get to play that-t card! I’ve seen your dreams B-Bill! Yo-ou fell just as f-far as I-I did and for the-the same human n-no less!”_

_“Please if I liked the same human he’d be putty in my hand already.”_

_“Yo-ou wanna make-e a bet then B-Bill?”_

_“Sure why not. We’ll both flirt with him and who he chooses, which will be me, gets to keep him how’s that sound?” Bill offers holding out a flaming blue hand._

_“D-Deal!” Will agrees with a shake of his own golden flaming hand._

**.**

The first thing that breaks through the restful nothingness of sleep is the sound of the rain hitting his car. Dark amber eyes flutter open to stare at the dark cloudy sky outside. Stan watches and eventually sees lightning flash across those clouds. Flinching when the loud thunder comes almost immediately after he gets up from the backseat and crawls to the front. However it’s only when he’s about to start the car does he see it. 

Blue flowers sitting on his dash as if they belong there. Reaching to pick them up he can’t help but trace the petals with his shaking fingers. Despite wondering how they got in his locked car a smile spreads across Stan’s face at their beauty. Setting them in his lap smile still in place he starts his car. Driving away from where he parked he looks for somewhere safer to sleep away the night.

Hours pass and he gives up looking for a place sleep. Finding the glowing light of a diner’s sigh Stan’s stomach decides to growl in a hunger that’s been building for a few days. Opening his dashboard he finds a few dollars and change that he must have got from a pickpocketing sometime before. Smile getting wider at the promise of food he grabs the money and the flowers then heads inside at run. Shaking himself to get somewhat less wet when he enters he goes over to the counter and sits down. Setting the blossoms beside him Stan starts counting his cash to see what he can order while still having money left over. As he counts the waitress comes over only for her eyes to freeze on the flowers by him.

“Wow…it’s been a while since I’ve seen an agapanthus. Gonna give it to a girl?” The young woman asks with a smile on her lips.

“Huh? Uh no….Is that what’s called? Agapenthus?” Stan asks back his counting halted momentarily.

“It’s agapanthus and yeah. I’d recognize it anywhere. A patch of it grew outside our home and whenever my brother had a crush he’d hide one of them in the girl’s locker.”

“Wouldn’t a rose have been better?”

“Not for what he wanted. Agapanthus means secret love. By giving that flower he could pretend to be a suave unknown admirer instead of the dorky teenager he was. Anyway enough about that what ya want to eat?”

Ordering a glass of cola to start with he goes back to look at the flowers when she turns away. Blushing slightly at the thought of someone loving him it takes Stan shaking his head before he can focus on counting out his money again. After going over the menu and comparing it to what he can spend while still having money left over he orders a burger with fries. As he waits for his food he starts tracing the flowers’ petals once more finding a strange source of comfort in it. Smiling widely when the plate is placed in front of him Stan sets the plants aside but still taking happiness in its presence as he eats. 

**.**

_His joy is impossible to ignore as he watches his dear Stanley show such obvious fondness for his gift. However Will’s happiness begins to fade when he sees Bill come over to the window with a smug look in his silted eye. Floating next to each other now they both observe as a cop walks into the diner and recognizes their mutual love. From there the officer proceeds to arrest Stan and drag him out of the diner leaving the flower behind on the counter. Turning his attention to Bill now rage fills him when he sees the smug look hasn’t faded at all._

_“Did yo-ou do this?” Will growls out at his counterpart._

_“Oh come on Willie don’t be upset,” Bill begins still holding that annoying air around him, “I was just speeding things along to my turn.”_

_“Why yo-ou triangle ass-s!”_

_Tackling his alternate self he begins fighting with the other. Sadly the scuffle is over just as quickly as it began when Bill quickly pins Will down below him. Letting out a laugh at the fear he sees in his other self’s eye he then gets up and heads back over to the bubble to continue watching their lovely. After a few moments Will joins him in silence._

_“Oh buck up. You can still flirt with him when I do….just don’t expect him to notice!” Bill comments before laughing wildly._

**.**

The weeks he’s spent in prison have passed like boring routine. Not that it was a major surprise Stan knew that the guards would keep a tight schedule it’s just he never really thought they would plan out every minute as they had. But they did and since he’s stuck here for the time being, stupid fraud charge, he’s going to have to follow the rules if he wants to keep off the guards’ radar. Which is why he’s currently heading out into the yard for recreation time with the rest of the prisoners on his cell block. 

Squinting when the bright sunlight hits his eyes he looks around hoping to find some shade. Spotting a tree off by the fence he quickly walks over to it and lets out a relieved sigh when he enters the muted light. Sitting down by the tree Stan feels himself relax as he nearly loses himself to the almost silence. Sadly it doesn’t work when two guards come near him for some inane reason and begin to chit-chat. 

“Wait a minute they’ve got Genes doing what?” The younger guard asks the older one as they stop a good few feet from the tree.

“Weeding. Apparently some plant is trying to get into the west wing.” The older answers giving a quick look back to the courtyard so they’re still technically doing their job.

“Why? What’s the point?” 

“It’s the warden. He saw it once and now he wants all of it gone. Apparently the stupid thing means some kind of warning in that fancy flower language.”

“What kind of warning?”

“Who knows? Point is every time the thing springs up somewhere he freaks out…..Though it probably doesn’t help his worries that the stupid plant shouldn’t even been able to grow in this area.”

“Damn that su-Oh shit what’s going on over there?”

Watching as the two guards run over to break up a fight that started by the gym weights he goes back to trying to relax in the shade. Luckily unlike the first time he is successful and spends the rest of the hour in a light doze. Snapping out of said doze when the bell rings for dinner Stan reluctantly gets up from by the tree and follows the rest of the inmates inside the building. Heading towards the cafeteria he does his best to keep out of everyone’s way not wanting to draw any attention to himself.

Upon entering the mess hall he quickly grabs a plate full of food then sits down at one of the far tables by the barred windows. Pushing around what he thinks might be pasta Stan discretely looks around the room to better understand its layout for possible escape. However the clink-clank of two rings hitting one another draws his, as well as the rest of the prisoners, attention to the doors. A few seconds pass with the clanking getting worse until the doors are slammed open and the warden walks in with the rings on his necklace hitting one another with each step he takes. 

“How is it getting in the building?!” The warden whisper screeches out as he points to the dangling purplish-blue flowers in his hand.

“Sir the mookshond is-” his assistant tries to begin.

“It’s monkshood and we need to get rid of it!”

“Ok I understand that it’s growing where it shouldn’t and that worries you but do we really need to take people off duty just so they can remove this thing?”

“Yes, because it’s poisonous and therefore dangerous now we need to-”

Tuning out the conversation when the warden leaves the room still jiggling he does his best to focus on eating his food and nothing else. However it doesn’t really work seeing how he spends the rest of dinner thinking about those strange flowers. Coming out of his thoughts when the guards call for the last recreation of the day Stan gets up and heads towards the gym. There he begins lifting weights as a way to do something productive and distract his mind. Then once the hour is up he heads back to his cell block with the other prisoners only to stop in the doorway of his cell at what he sees.

Inside stands both the warden and his assistant, but it is the third person sitting on his bed that gains his attention. Staring back up at him with two acidic yellow eyes is a tall man of what appears to be average weight. Watching as what he assumes is another inmate give him a sharp grin Stan feels the sudden urge to step away in fear. Shaking himself to get rid of said impulse he then turns to look at the other two in the room with eyebrow raised in question. However neither the warden nor his assistance seem to notice or care lost in their own conversation.

“-well then schedule the north cellblock to Marcus.” The warden explains as if trying convince his assistance, “that will free up Simons and then-” 

“But Marcus is already covering for Cole Sir… he can’t legally take on another cellblock.” The assistance answers respectfully but with a touch of annoyance to his voice.

Opening his mouth to verbally ask what’s going on he is instead pushed aside as they continue to talk about schedule changes. Hearing the cell door close behind them as they leave Stan then warily turns back around to face his new cellmate. Giving a shaky smile to the other he is about to make a joke on sleeping arrangements when his fellow inmate gets up from the bed to corner him against the wall. Fear beginning to form at the closeness of the other Stan tries pushing past only for a hand to wrap around his throat. Eyesight becoming dim around the edges from the lack of air he stares teary eyed into the yellow eyes of his attacker. 

“Let me guess I’m taking your breath away?” He comments with a pleased smirk right before Stan’s vision goes dark. 

**.**

_“Wha-at did yo-ou do? Why would-d yo-ou attack him like-like that?!” Will screams out when Bill shows up as if nothing happened._

_“No idea what you’re talking about. All I was doing was flirting with him.” Bill answers._

_“Flirting? Yo-ou attacked him! Yo-ou hurt him-”_

_He would have gone further into his rant but the sudden sound of something shattering stops him. Turning his attention to his counterpart Will sees cracks appearing in the reality of their new dimension all around Bill’s form. Knowing that this is a sign of losing control even more than usual he steps back in order to give his alternate his space._

_“If you have a problem with my style of flirting that’s your issue. Now if you excuse me I should be getting back. Can’t have that stupid puppet ruining my chances with Stanley after all.” Bill comments before turning to stone and sending his conscious to his newest pawn._

_“Yo-ou’ve already r-ruined your chances.” Will mumbles to himself._

**.**

Everything seems to be throbbing when his mind finally emerges from unconsciousness to the fast becoming familiar infirmary bed. Attempting to open his eyes Stan lets out a soft whimper when the movement causes even more pain. Scared to try again he lays there until a gentle touch to his face signals him to sit up. Right eye opening in a squint he watches as the nurse hands him a pill and motions for him to swallow it. Knowing it’s a painkiller he does so without hesitation before laying back down on the bed. Giving a small grin to show his thanks Stan drifts off to sleep with the memory of bright blue eyes bouncing around his mind. 

Sadly his sleep doesn’t last long before the warden comes into the infirmary in order to check over the charts all the while complaining about the new type of flower springing up everywhere. Waking up still in a somewhat painless state Stan opens his eyes to get a better look around. He watches squinting as the other walks to the recovered inmates and orders the absentminded doctor to sign their release papers so they can rejoin the general population. Unfortunately the warden is so distracted by his own musings that he grabs Stan’s chart by mistake and has the doctor sign it. Then upon leaving the infirmary several guards come into the room and escort those released back to their cells.

Knowing that they’ll take him out of the ward no matter how bad he looks Stan reluctantly gets up from his bed and stands there lightly swaying. From there he is lead limping out of the infirmary and back to his cellblock where he is pushed back into his cell gently. Hearing the click behind him Stan slowly makes his way to ‘his’ bed and lays down as carefully as possible. Eyes seeming to close on their own accord he drifts off into a thankfully dreamless sleep unknowing of the purple-ish flower laying by his head on the pillow.

Hours later a sharp burst of pain startles his nervous system forcing consciousness back onto him. Groaning in pain when he recognizes the throbbing as a new bruise Stan then attempts to curl into himself to get away from who he knows hurt him. Unfortunately before he can those familiar horrible hands stop him in his tracks. Whimpering now more in fear than in pain he keeps his eyes closed not wanting to see what else might be done.

“Don’t hide yourself from me, Stanley you know I like looking into your eyes.” That strange high pitched voice practically purrs into his ear.

Pushed onto his back by force he is then pinned to the bed by the other’s weight making him immobile and defenseless. From there his fellow inmate’s fingers probe the dark plum bruises around his eyes drawing cries of pain from his lips. After a few seconds of this Stan’s amber irises are revealed when his eyelids are forced open. Terror courses through him as a dark chuckle escapes his cellmate’s lips at the sight of his fear filled eyes.

“There see that wasn’t so bad. Now then, there’s something I want to try…” His words are whispered as he nuzzle into Stan’s neck.

The movements are slow and soft against his neck before teeth suddenly sink into his skin. Gasping at the sudden sting Stan struggles against the hold the other has on him. Sadly all that does is increase the pain ten-fold. After a few seconds he releases his teeth only to move over to another spot on the neck and repeats the process. This happens several more times before he finally pulls up to take a look at the damage he’s done to Stan’s collar.

“Hmmm I may have bit too deep….think I should’ve stopped at bruises….Oh well pretty sure they’re still the same thing even if it’s bleeding instead.” He comments to himself as his attention lingers on the crimson marks he left behind.

“Stop-p…” Stan begs in a raspy voice still reeling somewhat from the new pain adding onto the old.

“Huh? Ok so maybe I was a little too hard on you but-”

“You-u nearly broke my-my hand yesterday! And I-I can’t even open my-my eyes without feeling the pain of the bruises you-u left a few days ago!”

“So I held your hand a little too tightly and I may have put too much pressure when I did the whole guess who thing. I still don’t see why-”

“You strangled me when we met, and that was only a week ago! Stop making it sound as if you’re trying to be romantic when all you’ve done is attack me!” 

“...I don’t think I want to talk about this anymore.”

Wanting to unleash all of his pent up frustration he opens his mouth to continue arguing with the other only for their stormy glare to stop him in his tracks. Making an empty swallow to try and alleviate the reappearance of his terror he watches as his cellmate flops down onto the bed. From there the other inmate pulls Stan into his arms thus trapping him against his chest and the wall. Somehow knowing that he’s going to be stuck there for a while he moves in small increments until he’s in a more comfortable position. Closing his eyes his mind drifts off into unconsciousness with dreams of escape circling his thoughts.

**.**

_“He-he didn’t even get to-o see it-t!” Will shouts out once Bill reforms in their dimension._

_“So who cares? It’s not like he knew what a purple hyacinth means anyway.” Bill responds back attention focused completely on watching their lovely._

_“That’s n-not the-the point!”_

_“Yes it is the point! You’re upset that the only way you’re able to show affection to him went ignored. Well newsflash maybe if you had the courage to actually do something besides give flowers you might have a better chance.”_

_“Yo-ou’re infuriate-ting!”_

_“I’m right! Now do you want to help bust him out or do you want to sit there and cry some more?”_

_Frustration filling him at what his counterpart said he almost decides to just ignore the other. However the thought of abandoning their lovely if only for a second stops him from doing so. Instead Will floats over to Bill’s side and assists him in adjusting reality just slightly enough to be of benefit to Stan’s escape. Once that’s all done with though he proceeds to avoid his alternate self and anything else he might say._

**.**

It wasn’t until he’s was two states over and long gone from that cell of his did he realize just what’s been feeling off about his escape… It was too easy. The cellblock was practically empty of guards. The other inmates were all asleep unseeing of the world around them. The front gates weren’t even locked for Pete’s sake. But even if he ignored all of that, even if Stan pretended that that was normal, there was one thing that he knew wasn’t right. His car sat untouched despite him being gone for months. It gave him chills in a way thinking about it. After all who would work that hard to get him out of prison, he knows someone interfered, just for a friendly chat? However for the sake of his sanity he chose not to think about those things. 

Instead he spent those first few weeks of his new found freedom hiding out of sight in an abandoned parking lot…..And yet in spite of all his precautions Stan still managed to find purple flowers on his dash every morning when he woke up. Now he is by no means an expert on botany but even he knows what lavender looks/smells like; therefore you can trust him when he says after waking up to that plant for twenty-two days straight he got a good whiff of its scent. Not to imply that he didn’t like the blooms, he did, he just wished he knew how they were getting in his car so easily. But besides that insignificant detail everything was going pretty great for him….. Until that first month ended. Then everything went to hell in a hand basket. 

The first time it happened he was leaving the gas station. In his hands he was carrying a few bags of legitimately purchased food still not wanting to risk getting any cops attention that a petty larceny charge would attract. Opening his door Stan makes a move to set the bags on the passenger’s side only to freeze when he sees something already there. Eyes narrowing in suspicion he puts the bags in the back of the car and turns his attention back to the object at hand. Tracing its cardboard exterior he takes a deep breath before pulling out his pocket knife and cutting through the packaging tape.

Lifting up the flaps his eyes widen at what he sees laying inside. Fear taking hold Stan is about to ditch the box and drive until he’s on the other side of the country only for a familiar sight to stop him. Reaching out a shaky hand he pulls out the disembodied foot and holds it out in front of him. Turning it around his breath catches in his throat when he sees there the words “forgive but never forget” written in red. Recognizing the tattoo on the severed limb as a marking of a former colleague, attempted murderer now, he quickly drops the foot back into its box. Then grabbing said box Stan throws it out of his car and drives off.

The same thing happens another three times. Each box with a different familiar body part from some of his former ‘business’ associates. Stan found the package with the mismatched eyes in his trunk one afternoon staring up at him through the crack in the lids. His next ‘gift’ was a thick clump of hair with a distinct charm hiding in the bloody locks. But it was the final one of a disfigured hand that caused him to leave the town immediately, and just keep driving with no end destination in mind.

**.**

_“I-I don’t think either of-f us are-are going to-to win this bet….” Will comments tone sorrowful and morose._

_“Um excuse me but just because your style of flirting isn’t working doesn’t mean mine isn’t.” Bill answers back while raising an eyebrow in surprise._

_“But it’s not-t working….neither of-f ours are-are.”_

_“How do you figure?”_

_“He-He likes my-y flowers I-I know that, but I-I….I’m not brave enough to-to try anything else…. And yo-ou don’t under-rstand enough about-t human feelings to-”_

_“I know plenty about human feelings you little-”_

_“No yo-ou don’t! Yo-ou either hurt him phy-ysically or yo-ou terrify him with-with those ‘gifts’ of-f yours.”_

_“…I-I could learn what to-”_

_“Yo-ou can’t and-and we both know it-t. Just like I’ll never be-e brave enough.”_

_“…..You’re right……surprisingly.”_

_“We should-d just give up-up…watch him and-and make sure he-he’s happy….” Will mumbles with a fond look towards the reality window._

_“No… I have a better idea. It will be annoying but we’ll have him.” Bill states as his form flashes through hundreds of images._

_“What do yo-ou have i-in mind?”_

**.**

He’s sitting on a park bench minding his own business when all of a sudden a huge bouquet of flowers is shoved in his face. Shock fills his system as Stan blinks at the collection of blue and yellow petals before him. Looking over the many blossoms he stares at the unknown man giving them to him. A gentle yet playful smile seems to glow on the other’s face bringing the light into his mismatched eyes. Feeling a strange sense of déjà vu at the man’s yellow and blue eyes he quickly focuses his attention back onto the flowers wanting to get a better look at them.

“Do you like them?” He asks smile still in place.

“Yeah…but why are you giving them to me?” Stan wonders as he traces the petals.

“A date.”

“A date?....You’re asking me out?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t know me.”

“I would like to.”

“Huh.”

“So what do you say?”

“You know what? Why not it could be fun. But you gotta tell me what these flowers are.” 

“That’s a deal I’ll gladly shake to,” He agrees as he helps Stan up, “by the way the name’s William Cipher.”

“Stanley Pines…..So you going to tell me?” Stan answers while they walk out of the park side by side.

“Let’s find a restaurant first Stanley….then I’ll tell you all about them.”

“I’ll hold you too that.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less, lovely.”

**Author's Note:**

> All flowers and their meanings in order of appearance:  
> Agapanthus- secret love  
> Monkshood- beware, a deadly foe is near.  
> Hyacinth (purple)- I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Sorrow.  
> Lavender- Loyalty, love, devotion.
> 
> Flowers and their meanings in the bouquet:  
> Honeysuckle- United in love.  
> Coreopsis- Love at first sight  
> Forget me not- True love  
> Violet (blue)- Love, faithfulness.


End file.
